Steerable drive-gearing.



` -W. SCHNECKLOTH. STEEHABLE DRn/E G'EARINQ. L I APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 19H. 1,169,958, y Patented Nov. 1b, 1915,

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Parenteel new.' is., rois.

Application filed. May 29, 1914. Serial No. 341,770.

. other-vehic'les whereby the steering wheels lthereof may be also utilized as driving esl 'ments of parts wheels.

The object of my improvement is the production of mechanism as mentioned which will be of durable and economical construe tion and efiicient in operation. l

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

YWith these objects in view my invention consists in the combinations and arrangehereinafter described and claimed. 1'

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in whichi Figure 1 is a top plan View, partly in sec tion, of a steerable drive gearing embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional detail oi' the universal joint which is used in the device, F ig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal 'section of the gearing, and Figs. 4. ando are sections taken on lines -rr and y-y re spectively of Fig. 3.

The preferred form of construction as illust-rated in the drawings comprises a bearing member 1 adapted, when in use, to. be held rigid or stationary through the medium ot brace rods adapted to 'engage `with perforations 2 provided at the upper and lower ends of the member 1 as clearly -shown in Fig, 3. Rotatably mounted in the bearing member 1 is the driving shaft 3 the inner end ot which, when the device is in use, be-

ing connected with the source of power as.

will be readily understoodv by those skilled inthe art. Cooperating with the outer end of the shaft 3 is an antifriction rollerv bearing 4t adapted to serve in the usual capacity. Provided at the upper and lower ends of the bearing member 1 are laterally {rojecting lugs 5 and 5 in which are arranged trunnions 6 and 6', said trunnions being positioned in axial alincment.

Ccperating with the bearing member y1 is a. steering ltnuclfle 7 provided at its'inner end with inwardly projecting spaced lugs 8 and 8', said lugs being so spaced as to be adapted to engage against the under sides of lugs 5 and 5.. ,'idjacent lugs S-and 8 and 5 and 8 are connected by means of the trun* nions 6 and 6 respectively, the trunnion 6 being threaded in the lug 8 and the trunnion 6 being threaded in the lug 5 whereby said trunnions are securely held in position. The arrangement is such, as will be seen, that the steering knuckle 7 is soconnected with the bearing member 1 as totpermit of free oscillatory movement in a horizontal plane or in such a direction as to permit of .steering movement of the wheel.

Rotatably mounted in the steering knuckl 'l' is a driven shaft' 9, said shaft being so arranged that, when the steering knuckle is in central position, said shaft will be in axial alinement with the driving shaft 3.

Coperating with the shaft 9 is an antifric-` tion roller bearing 1() and a bearing sleeve or bushing 11, a nut 12 threaded upon the outer end of shaft 9 serving to lock the same in operative relation with the steering knuckle as will be readily understood.

The adjacent ends of the shafts 3 and 9 are operatively connected by means of a universal joint comprising a. rectangular slotted block or housing 13 which is fixed to the -outer end of shaft 3 and a pair of spaced blocks 14C carried by the inner end of shaft 9, the latter being pivotally connected with 4said blocks by means of a pin 15 projecting centrally through said shaft the yrespective ends of which are mounted insaid blocks as clearly shownin Figs. 2, 3' and 5. blocks 14 fit snugly .in the housing 13, the outer sides of said blocks being rounded so The as to permit of rocking of said blocks in said housing. l/Viththis arrangement it will be seen that'a driving connection between the shafts 3 and 9 permitting of universal piv otal movement. of the latter relative to the shaft 3 is provided which allows for the loo necessary movement ot said shaft 9 in the steering operation. The center or pivotal point of said universal joint is inl axial alinement with the axes of trunnions 6 and 6 this being vobviously necessary in order to permit of the desired movement. I

Rotatably mounted upon the outer end of vsteering knuckle 'i' isa wheel hub 16, roller bearings 1'? and 18 being interposed between saidv knuckle and hub in order to reduce friction. Acap nut 19'is threaded upon the Connectouter end of said hub as is usual. y ed by means of bolts' 2O with the inner side l of hub 16 is anA annular member 21 angular in cross section at the inner side ofwhich is 'formed an internal gear 22. rEhe gear 22 meshes with an idler gear 23 arranged in a slot 2Lilformed in the upper side of steering' knuckle 7, said gear 23be`ing mounted upon astiidpin 25 as clearly shown in Fig. 8. The Aidier gear 23 meshes lwith a gear 26 which is'iixed tothe driven shaft 9. With this arrangement; it will be seen that an operative connection between the *shaftv 9 kand the wheel hub 16 is established through thel 'gears 26,23 and 22, the gearing employed being such that the wheel hub will be driven at a less speedv than the shaft 9, the speed of said hub being preferably one-fourth thatof said shaft. At the lower end of the steering knuckle 7v is provideda rearwardly pro jecting arm 27 -as'shown in Fig. 1, 'for con# nection with steering-rods or other steering mechanism in theusual mannen With construction as set forth it will be seen that 'a driving connection isestablished between the driving shaft 3 of the vehicle and the Awheel hub 16, the connection being 'such however as to permit'offree horizontal movement or steering oscillation of said hub.

fThe,construction set forth is confined into very small space while at the same time the construction vpresented possessesl great strength and firmness.- The gear connectionY between the driven shaft 9 and the wheelr, hub whereby the latter is driven at a :less

speed-than the former, results in a develop-y ment of considerable leverage in the driving of thev wheel from the source of power, and at the saine, time results in evenness and steadiness in the driving operation.

Vshile l have illustrated and described the .tially as described.

preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into eifect,'.this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I,

member; a steering knuckle connected lat its inner end to said bearing member to permit of steering oscillation of said knuckle; said steering knucklehaving an outwardly eX- tending tubular portion arranged eoaXially l with said driving shaft; a driven shaft i'otatably mounted in said portion of said steering knuckle having inner end connected with said driving shaft so as to permit of universal pivotal movement of said driven shaft; a wheel hub removably and rotatably mounted on said steering knuckle; an operative connectionbetween saiddriven shaft and said hub, said connection comprising an internal gear operatively connected with said hub;a vgear fixed to'said driven shaft;l

and an idlerl gear mounted in said steering 4knuckle andv meshing with said last mentioned gear and said internal gear, substanln-testiniony whereofl I haveisigned iny` namerto this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WlLLIAM SCHNECKLOTH.

YVitnesses 'z Y HAZEL VVIGHTMAN,

v .HENRY H. CHESHIRE. 

